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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2005 11:50 am Post subject: Using GPS to plot my route accross Africa......
Hello everyone,
I have never owned GPS system before, but now I find that I have quite a specific use for one, so I thought I'd give the advanced forum a go for some much needed advice, even though I am a mere beginner!
I will be cycling accross West Africa in November 2005 for between 6 and 12 months, I have been looking at the Mitec Mio 168 and want to use it for the following uses:
I want to create a dataset of readings of my entire route, which means taking readings either manually or having the unit take readings automatically. Is it possible to take individual readings on such a unit as the mio 168? I will be travelling probably somewhere between 60-150 km per cycling day, I think these distances are short enough to just take one or two readings manually per day
I want to be able to input a location (presumably in longitude/latitude terms?) and have the unit tell me how far I am from that location. Also can it tell me the direction that I need to go in order to get there?
I also stumbled across a website called magnalox.net which allows people to upload datasets of co-ordinates and the site will display the data graphically. This site requires GPS logfiles of the following type: .nmea, .igc, .gpx. Will the mio168 be able to save files in this format?
Does GPS data contain altitude?
I understand that the mio does not come with GPS software, so my choice of software will be all-important. I do not need this unit for more conventional uses, I wont be using it in a car as a SatNav type system, I just want it for the above mentioned uses.
I realise that I vhave asked a lot of questions in a long winded way... But any clues or answers would be greatly appreciated.....So thankyou very much in advance for any assistence you can give.....
Joined: May 01, 2004 Posts: 706 Location: Monmouthshire
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2005 1:59 pm Post subject:
Hi 2wheels to the forum.. Sounds like an interesting trip you have planned! I think before some one can offer advice a few more details would be required ..eg would you have regular access to battery charging facilities and how long would you need the the pda/ gps to work in between charges ?
Thanks for replying so promptly, here's some more details....
Charging the battery will be a problem, although I will be taking a solar power charger with me so I should be able to charge up on the road. (I have a Coleman Flex 5 Solar charger which provides a trickle charge via a cigarette lighter adaptor, so I can connect any small device that also has a cigarette lighter adaptor, it is designed for hikers etc to charge up GPS, digital cameras etc when on the road).
So, I probably will only take readings at specific points manually rather than have the unit on all the time recording.
I will not be using this unit as a life saving navigational device. I will only use it to log my progress, and reassure me that I am heading in the right direction, as sometimes maps lack the detail that is sometimes needed in remote locations. I will also input co-ordinates that I find from other people and on the internet that locate points of interest. I may even deploy a geocache or two along the way as well.
The countries that I will be visiting are Morocco,Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. With a possibbility of Senegal, Gambia, Niger, Nigeria, Togo and Benin.
I have used a Garmin eMap GPS in South Africa using the WORLDMAP maps. Except for the cities, all major roads seemed to exist.
The eMap also has the ability to track your routeand store it for downloading later. However, it has only very limited memory which will soon run out if used constantly. As far as I know, all tracks are saved in main memory, not the add-in card.
It uses two standard AA batteries, and I have been able to run for about 12 hours using Duracell Ultra batteries (cheaper batteries died very much sooner).
I still use it from time to time when walking, as it has the wonderful feature of drawing a line from your current location to your destination. You know which way to go, and how far it is. It also gives you data such as altitude, time travelled, time stopped, etc. etc.
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